Brake for portable tables



Oct 20, 1936.

S. M. BANDURA BRAKE FOR PORTABLE TABLES Filed Feb. 15, 1935 INVENTOR STEPHEN M. bAnouaA BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1936 z-omrzao STATES P A-TENT p OFFICE 2,058,205 it I .l i BRAKE FOR PORTABLE TABLES Q Stephen M. Bandur'a, Astoria, N. Y.

Application February 15, 1935, serial No. 6,576

40mins. (cuss-'2) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a brake for portable tables such as :bar tables, service tables and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide'a mechanism for holding the wheels of tables of the class mentioned, when desired, so that the tables do not accidentally move. Quite often asuch accidental motion of a table results in spill- 7 ing thecontents of some of the containers therel'O aon andalso causes other damage.

It is a further object of this invention to so arrange the brake that upon the operation of a handle, the braking mechanism automatically engages all of the wheels of the table. Still further the invention contemplates an arrangement wherein the braking mechanism is- .-soconstructed that the wheels are capable of turning completely around about an axis coinciding with the axes 'of the posts of the table. In

" other words, .the wheels of the table are adapted Another object of the invention is a provision whereby the rods mentioned in the previous paraigraph may be lowered to such an extent that the itableis lifted from the fioor a sufiicient distance to disengage the wheels therefrom and so the :table is-held comparatively stationarily.

Another one of the objects of the invention is the'construction of a device as mentioned which -is :simple and durable and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

40, For further comprehension of the invention,

bandof the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention-are more particularly set forth.

, the accompanying drawing forming a material ,partof this disclosure:-

Fig. -1 is a side elevational View of a table constructed according to this invention.

.50 ,Fig. 2'is an end elevational view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view as though taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another table fled form of the invention;

with a brake mechanismaccording to amodification of thefinvention. 1

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to a:.por-

tion of Fig. :5 but illustrating a still furthermodi- The brake mechanism according to this invention, is used in combination witha portable table 2| 0 equipped with vertical corner posts I I. associated with wheels I2 by which the-table may-be conveniently moved'around. .A vertical rod l.3:is 10 'slidably mounted in each of the posts and 1s extendible from the 'bottomthereof. LA means is provided for simultaneouslymoving the rods l3 upwards and downwards. This means'comprises. a novel association ofmembers with rack 5 portions-engaging pinions and the like,:and-con'- trolled with a handle. -..More particularly, :a transverse rod ['4 awrranged'tbetween a pairof the posts I l' at one end of the table and another. transverse 'rod l4 -.ar- 20 ,rangedacrosscthe posts II at theother end'of the rods 13.- The rod I4 is also provided with :small :gears I6 formeshing with rack teeth l3 mounted upon the rods [3. A horizontal bar I! extends longitudinally beneath the top III of the table and is:slidab1y mounted inssupports we. '3 .The bar I! is formed with rack teeth l1 and N near the :ends thereof. These rack teeth mesh with: pinions l8 .and I8 'respectivelyfixed .upon .the rods Hand l4...

' The arrangement is such that the .handle -.l5 635 .may be turned in one direction to turn the rod -:of the rear vertical rods l3.

The :wheels l2 are :rotatively supported'upon fork members 20 pivotally mounted intermediate of theirren'ds' bypintles2l upon yokemembers 22150 which are mounted on the cores 23' of ball bearing constructions 23 mounted within recesses in the bottoms of the posts II. The tail ends 20 of the fork members are guided between a pair of parallel lugs 22'. The rods I3 are connected with 55 the tail portions 20' of the fork members by universal connections 24. The arrangement is such that as the rods I3 move upwards and downwards the fork members 20 are moved. More specifically, the rods I3 move the rear ends of the tails 20' of the fork members up and down which moves the front ends in reverse order. Each of the posts H have braking surfaces 25 arranged there around in conical shape so that in all rotative positions of the race members 23 the wheels I2 may engage against the braking surface upon downward motion of the rods I 3.

The fork members 20 each comprise a pair of front fingers 20 arranged on opposite sides of the wheels I2 and joining together at the point 20 outside of the compass of the wheel with a single member constituting the tails thereof and designated on the drawing by reference numeral 20'.

In Fig. l, the table is shown with the brake mechanism in the inoperative position. The

table may be moved along on the ground as desired. The wheels I2 may be moved to contact with the brake surfaces 25 by operation of the handle I5. A screw I5 threadedly engages through the handle I 5 and is capable of abutting the post I I to hold the handle in various positions so that the brake may be held engaged or released.

In Fig. 5 a modified form of the invention has been disclosed which distinguishes from the previous form merely in the arrangement of the brake shoes and the mounting of the wheels. More particularly, according to this form of the invention, there is a table 20 having verticalposts 3| in the corners thereof. Rods I3 are vertically slidably arranged within the posts 3 I. These rods are adapted to move upwards and downwards by a mechanism, as explained relative to Fig. 1, which mechanism may be recognized on the drawing by the identical reference numerals. .440

The wheels I2 of the device are fixed on brackets 32 which are stationarily mounted upon the lower ends of the posts II. The rods l3 extend from the bottom ends of the posts and support arcuate shaped brake shoes 33. These brake shoes are arranged so as to be supported at one of their ends 33' upon the rods l3, and extend upwards in arcuate paths. When the bars I3 move downwards the brake shoes 33 engage against the wheels to lock the wheels against rotation, and furthermore, the brake shoes 33 become wedged in the space between the rods I3 and the wheels I2. This may be easily understood by carefully examining the drawing and realizing that as the rods I3 move downwards, the: brake shoes 33 must be wedged as stated. Further braking action is obtained by the resiliency of the brake shoes 33. Since the brake shoes are being moved downwards by the rods I3, they will act with greater and greater force against the wheels I2 the further the rods are moved downwards. A screw I5 threadedly engages through the handle I5 and is capable of abutting the post I I to hold the handle in various positions so that the brake may be held engaged or released.

In Fig. 6 another modified form of the invention has been disclosed which is substantially identical to that form'of the invention disclosed in Fig. 5 except for the construction of the brake shoes. In this particular case the brake shoes comprise blocks 33 merely mounted upon the lower ends of the rods I3. When the rods I3 are moved downwards, as indicated by the dot and dash lines, the brake shoes 33 will act against the floor 34 and lift the table off the floor so that the wheels I2 are out of contact. 6

While I have illustrated and described the pre ferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications com- 10 ing within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: 15

1. In combination with a table having vertical corner posts, a vertical rod slidable in each post and extendiblefrom the bottom thereof, means with racks upon said vertical rods, a horizontal bar slidably arranged and provided with arcuate teeth meshing with gears upon said transverse rods, and a handle upon one of said transverse rods for the operation thereof to cause the simultaneous operation of said vertical rods.

2. In combination with a table having vertical corner posts, a vertical rod slidable in each post and extendible from the bottom thereof, means for simultaneously moving said rods upwards and downwards, a yoke rotative upon the lower end of each post, a fork pivotally mounted on each yoke and extending beneath an opening in the yoke and connected'with the vertical rod in the post, a 5 wheel upon the outer end of each fork, and a brake surface on each post engageable by said wheel when the vertical rod is moved downwards.

3. In combination with a table having vertical corner posts, a vertical rod slidable in each post $1 5 and extendible from the bottom thereof, means for simultaneously moving said rods upwards and downwards, a yoke rotative upon the lower end of each post, a fork pivotally mounted on. each yoke and extending beneath an opening in the (5. yoke and connected with thevertical rod in the post, a wheel upon the outer end of each fork, and a brake surface on each post engageable by said wheel when the vertical rod is moved downwards, the connections between the vertical posts andthe i fork members comprising universal joints.

4. In combination with a table having vertical corner posts, a vertical rod slidable in each post and extendible from the bottom thereof, means for simultaneously moving said rods upwards and downwards, a yoke rotative upon the lower end of each post, a fork pivotally mounted on each yoke and extending beneath an opening in the yoke 

